


A Trio of Trainers : Origins

by Kulto



Series: A Trio of Trainers [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Adventure, Cinnamon rolls, Comedy, Coming of Age, Family Fluff, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Houen-chichou | Hoenn, Jouto-chihou | Johto, Life Choices Matter, Light-Hearted, Mentions of canon characters - Freeform, Moral Lessons, Not Canon Compliant, OCs - Freeform, Pokemon, Pokemon AU, Pokemon Journey, Pokemon Ranger - Freeform, Pokemon are Pals not Tools, Pokemon daycare, Slice of Life, To Be Continued, Travel, Various Regions, childish moments, exploring pokemon ideas, finding happiness, it's hard to chase after your dreams, pokefan, sightseer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2020-08-14 05:00:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20186659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kulto/pseuds/Kulto
Summary: Purely for my own try at writing an OC fic XDLet's try something a little different. This is the origin story of three friends with different goals in life with their journeys intertwined at the start. Watch them grow in this story before they actually get to pursue their futures. Marie, a pokémon daycare keeper and pokéfan enthusiast. Aya, a relaxed sightseer who enjoys traveling to experience new places, while also having fun pokémon battles with people around the world. Winter, an aspiring pokémon ranger, trains and dabbles into the trainer/coordinator lifestyle with her team of pokémon. These are the lives of other people in the Pokémon world. Not exactly the typical Pokémon setting where the hero gets to save the day or the one where there's a friggin' huge problem to fix. Maybe I’m just a bit tired of seeing the same-ish cycle half the time.





	1. Childhood Dreams

"You guys have the _absolute_ worst timing." Winter briefly pouted and hid her face behind her hair as usual. Though her face remains hidden, there was surely a hint of loneliness in her voice.

"Don't worry, we can send messages online through our PokéNavs." Marie held up her yellow device in the air, and with that, a screen of her contact list reflected on her hazel eyes.

"It'll be _fine_, Winter. I mean, at least you get to stay in the main hub. The wireless connection is so much better here in Mauville. Besides, Slateport City and Verdanturf Town aren’t even that far." Aya fiddled with her cap for a bit then took it off while trying to maintain her signature ponytail.

"Still, it won't be the same. You’re right though, visiting won’t be much of a problem at least." Winter scratched the back of her head with her eyes glued to the ground. The dark redhead paused as she finally looked up towards the dusk sky. The brunette switches off her device and a plum haired girl with a cap stares up as well.

"Well, Aya, since you're gonna be at coastal area, that means we can have a beach day. And Marie, we can have a picnic in the flower fields too." Winter spoke up with a small smile.

The two fell silent but returned warm reassuring smiles to their friend. "I can't believe our time at the academy is almost done. I'm so glad we finally get to show what we can do with our pokémon." Aya grinned and tossed her pokeball, releasing her surprisingly cheerful Mimikyu. Though Marie was not too fond of the ghost fairy being’s spooky pranks and antics at first, she eventually came to care for it as well.

Marie then did the same and cradled her little newly hatched Togepi in her arms. Winter stared at the heal ball in her hands, inside was a Dratini she had somehow rescued a year back while she was on a field trip with her friends and classmates. She threw it into the air and out came a creature with a scar wrapped around its tail. Dratini coiled itself around her owner's arm.

"They are all so cute I could just squish em'. Ugh." Marie cooed at the trio of baby pokémon that were out and about.

Winter felt the tears forming in her eyes but quickly wiped them away. They were all thirteen now, and once the season would end, they'll all be finally allowed by their parents to leave for their very own adventure with their own trainer licences. But also by that time, both her friends Aya and Marie will have moved in at their new places as well.

In most cases, a bunch of kids would have left by the age of ten to eleven in the Kanto or Johto region, but some get sent to a trainer's school or academy for another year or so until the age for extra precautions.

"We should head back home. Video call later?" Winter petted her pokémon one more time before returning it to its heal ball.

"Yep. Probably should." Aya sighed then placed Mimikyu atop her shoulder. The tiny pokémon nuzzled into her cheek.

"Togepi _kind of_ needs his rest soon, yeah." Marie put back the sleepy baby pokémon in its cozy nest ball. The girls had linked their arms like they used to when they were much younger and began to make their way back to the residential area in Mauville City.

Three kids walked peacefully along the aged marble slated sidewalks in a comfortable silence as the sun was setting. All of them were hoping for the best since they’ll soon part ways for a while to begin preparations for their long journey as a team, after their final summer as non-trainers would come to an end. It was a dream they had all been chasing, ever since the age of six, when they first became friends. The summer was fleeting, yes, but they managed to fill in the gaps with beach days, afternoon picnics, and wishes for a bright future.


	2. That Summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one won't have much dialogue but I promise the upcoming chapter after this will :P I just wanted to give more background on who the kids are and how they are with their pokepals lol 
> 
> Decided to post this quite early in the week since college classes might take a huge bite outta my time and it's finals woot
> 
> I'm also not sure if should be giving their pokemon nicknames? I want to but at the same time it's not really my style even in-game XD tho i will do my best to make longer chapters like this at least hehe
> 
> _______________________

It’s been about eight to nine years since then.

Each of them look back to that memory fondly and cherish the times they had visited each other over summers wherein they would take a short break from their journey, especially since they took up different routes in life. Though, nothing had really beaten the first year when they had chosen to travel together in the Johto region. Apart from the days they spent with each other over the break, the trio had interesting experiences in their own time.

During the summer before their journey, their parents had prepared a small present for them. Three little Eevees nestled in a cozy weaved basket were shown to them. It was definitely a welcome surprise to the kids and they couldn’t be any more grateful. In the first month of their break, Marie was frantically chasing her energetic Eevee at one point and it had accidentally stumbled upon a thunderstone in the field which in turn had made it become a fitting Jolteon.

"It doesn't matter where I go or what I do. I'm just glad I get to have fun with all of you." Marie gave an earnest grin.

In the beginning, she truly had a hard time keeping up with her two energetic pokémon but she still loved them anyways. There were times when Togepi would ride on the Jolteon’s back in her backyard and she would let them play with the other docile wild pokémon in the grass. Her parents were a bit worried since Marie had barely let any of her pokémon really train in a proper fight and partly also since they had caught sight of her team on numerous occasions just playing around. With the travel just around the corner, they couldn’t help but feel a _little_ concerned. One month was down, but regardless of how things were, Jolteon and Togepi were truly delighted to have Marie as their acting trainer.

During the vacation, Aya had taken along with her a playful Eevee and Mimikyu to a park she visited overseas with her mom during that same summer. Hers had suddenly evolved into a Sylveon after having its first grooming session. Mimikyu was elated by the fact it had another fairy type friend in her roster and the two became the best of buds. While being in a foreign region known for its culture and traditional style, also formally known as Johto, this sparked Aya’s interest after having a glimpse of the sights and scenery.

And in that one week trip, she sent tons of scenic pictures in their group chat; her friends were just as enamoured as she was. It was because of that, they had agreed to start their gym challenge in the Johto region instead of their homeland. Her mother strongly urged her to go to another region and maybe settle down there at some point. Though it was an interesting idea for sure, Aya still wanted to go to other places until she was satisfied. It was _way too early_ to pick one area and she’d be damned if she couldn’t get the chance to explore the other regions as well.

Aya smirked to herself. "One day, I'll get to go to places and see many different faces. With my two best friends and pokepals."

Winter, on the other hand, didn't really know what evolution to choose, even though she had a firestone that could potentially make her Eevee become a Flareon. Seeing that her friends made theirs evolve so spontaneously, she was beginning to feel a little left behind.

On one morning, she gave Dratini and Eevee time to play while she was preparing some supplies for the journey. She was stressing out over missing one of her full heals and her pokémon tried their best to calm her down. For a moment, she had almost lashed out at the two but held in her frustrations instead. They didn’t deserve that.

She had been training them on scheduled days for the past two months during the time her friends were away and still adjusting to their new homes. Her pokémon were very patient with her and she wondered if she was really suited to the trainer life since she’s already beginning to feel the immense pressure. With her other younger siblings not choosing the trainer lifestyle, she took responsibility as the eldest to simply go for it and help out pokémon instead.

“I’m so sorry for being such a… stressful trainer. Pretty sure that everyone else is doing better than _me_.” She sighed in defeat.

The two pokémon tugged at the edge of her shirt to get her attention. They shook their heads vigorously to comfort the young girl and led her to the pond on the outskirts of the city. Dratini had dived into the water immediately but Winter started to worry when her pokémon didn’t resurface. Winter herself was about to frantically jump in when Eevee pulled at the back of her sock. To her dismay, her other small pokemon jumped in the water after.

“What are you guys up to…? This isn’t funny, it’s making me way more worried than before y'know!” Her heart was pounding, she threw her bag aside and tossed her shoes into the bushes. Winter sprinted into the pond and beneath its surface was a dazzling glow before her.

A Dragonair flew up into the air along with a damp Eevee riding on for dear life on its back. The sight was memorable and breathtaking. When Dragonair made her landing, a glowing Eevee plopped right into her arms. The light eventually faded only to reveal a lavender pokémon with a round red gem on its forehead. She eyed her team incredulously unable to suppress a hearty laugh at the shocking evolutions. The girl _definitely_ had to call her friends about this.


	3. Let's Begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a character description and we also get to see a bit of fun for the kiddos :D Tried my best to make this chapter longer and sorta different from the way I wrote the first two chapters ^^ enjoy!

The first year of their adventure was spent on trying for the gym challenge in the Johto region, a land that was foreign to the three. It was also then that Marie realized she wasn't too happy when each of her pokémon was getting hit from the battles and training sessions with strangers. At the time, they were staying in at the Cherrygrove City pokémon center, gathering supplies and advice for trailing to the next place they needed to go to: Violet City.

Each had donned their default outfit for the sake of comfort and mobility during their travels.

Marie tucked a bit of her medium length dark brown hair and excitedly showed off her new silver stud piercings on her right ear, but still decidedly wore her trademark mustard-colored hoodie paired with some denim capris and a bright pair of yellow running shoes.

Winter, with her right eye partially hidden by her lengthy dark red hair and small bit of hair tucked on her left, had settled for a plain black t-shirt with pale blue shorts that had black leggings underneath as an extra layer, while keeping on her favorite red sneakers and also additionally wearing a small golden necklace half-hidden under shirt.

Aya sported a look that seemed casual and travel-ready; she had her plum high ponytail inserted into a white cap with a semi-pokeball symbol on top that had a visible lining of baby pink on its rim, and a teal teardrop necklace stays atop of her light gray halter top matched with her dark ripped jeans along with well-worn white leather sneakers.

They were ready and excited to explore the unknown territory (to them at least) that Johto had to offer in the style that best suited each of them.

"Guys, I know that it's a normal thing but I don't want to see them get hurt. The gym leaders must be something else altogether. I'd rather see my pals play. " She slumped in her seat.

"You're not going to bail on us, are you?" Winter visibly huffed across her friend.

"No! Don't get me wrong, I still plan to travel with you guys but whatever happens after this region, I have no clue. Don’t know what my parents would think of this either." Marie shrugged.

"Look, it's fine. You don't have to force yourself to battle. What I do suggest is that you at least try the first gym. If anything, at least you can be in charge of playtime duty with all of our pokémon on most days." Winter stuck her tongue out.

Over the course of the first month, they all had somehow managed to gain a new member in each of their teams. Marie caught a friendly Sandshrew while they were camping out near the entrance of a small cave. Aya got herself a rare Lapras when they were trying to fish for the first time by the sea in Cherrygrove City. Winter begrudgingly took in a persistent hungry Vulpix by the forest path.

"Baby pokémon are the cutest. Ugh. Their fur is so soft." Marie proceeded to cuddle the various tiny pokémon in their group.

"Okay, it's time to settle down." Aya dusted off the picnic blanket and called the pokémon over.

The two noticed their friend was nowhere to be seen, along with her own pokémon. "Why does she always go off on her own?" Aya raised her cap. Both she and Marie just sighed.

"I swear, I wonder how she's both so responsible and kinda careless at the same time. I thought we covered that all by ourselves already." Marie chuckled.

"Hey, pokébirds of the same feather, flock together." Aya wiggled her eyebrows. She suddenly had a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"Battle me. It’ll be quick! Come on, Winter's kinda scary to battle sometimes, especially when she's stressed. It also wouldn't hurt to let your pokémon exercise too." The tall plum-haired girl whined and declared openly to the already reluctant brunette.

"Aya, you know I don't really want to battle. Like ever." Marie rolled her eyes. Her friend continued to pout and sulk.

With no sign of the dark redhead coming back anytime soon, she groaned and called out for her Jolteon. "Bud, let's try our best, okay?"

"Yeah, let's do this! Get ready to play Sylveon! " Aya grinned triumphantly. They headed towards a clearing to carry out the battle.

The two Eeveelutions took a playful stance towards one another, as if they were about to play like they used to as baby pokémon. Both brother and sister seemed so eager to start the battle and do their best for their respective trainers.

"Dazzling Gleam! Go!" Aya took the initiative in starting the battle as well as having the determination to end it. Sylveon quickly prepared for its attack but Jolteon had sped up its tempo too.

"Jolteon… counter that brightness with Spark!" Marie felt a bit anxious at first but remembered her pokémon was out there to have some fun and exercise with his fellow sister.

Electricity and sparkles flew across the field. The light of the two pokémon instantly clashed, causing each side to recoil and gain a bit of damage. Pokémon cheers could be heard from their teammates at the sidelines of the field. Aya and Marie felt pumped up by the atmosphere and also because their competitive nature against each other hasn’t changed that much.

A dark redhead peered through the trees and smiled while observing her friends battle. Her Dragonair leaned its head on her arm, as if to ask why she was watching from afar.

"I just needed some time away. Seems like they needed this fun fight. Don't worry, I'll step in when it's time." Winter chuckled softly. Espeon, just like her trainer, silently watched them continue the battle and would step in when needed.

The exchange of moves during the battle was well-countered on both ends. Neither side wanted to give up, so Marie decided to go for a surprise attack.

“I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE I ACTUALLY AGREED TO THIS! JOLTEON USE FLASH!” She tried to cover her eyes but the wide-ranged effect was devastating. The light overpowered the battle field, causing not only the pokémon to be temporarily blinded, but also the trainers too.

Aya couldn’t see anything at all but she still resorted to a sure-fire move in her competitive spirit. “Sylveon- USE FAIRY WIND!” A sudden gust of glitter picked up and swept throughout the entire field. With flashes of light and puffs of glitter all around the area, an irritated redhead from afar could only facepalm at the sight.

The pokémon that were cheering on the sidelines were now all dazed and confused. Winter nodded to her Espeon and it had formed a temporary Protect around them as the cloud expanded. When the foggy cloud of light and dust faded, the trainers saw that both Jolteon and Sylveon were both floating in the air. It was faint but the two were held up by a lilac-colored aura, and that only meant one thing: their older sister Espeon was nearby.

Over on the far left where the other pokémon were, they could see Winter rubbing her temples, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, while standing alongside her equally exasperated Espeon.

“Esp, use Morning Sun.” Jolteon and Sylveon floated gently onto the ground, the natural rays of the sun brightened for a moment, casting a restorative healing effect on the pokémon. The two gratefully ran around Espeon, who only gave a curt mewled response to acknowledge their thanks.

Winter smirked then proceeded with a playful eyeroll. “Arceus, you guys are absolutely Meltan nuts. Try to make the battles less... explosion-y next time, alright? There are other pokémon in the forest, too.” She chuckles, trying to make her tone less curt and more light.

“Whoops. Got a lil’ out of hand, didn’t we?” Aya nudged Marie, with Sylveon’s glitter still coated all over them and the ground.

“Honestly, I’m still surprised I even went that far. I had fun, I guess.” Marie gave them a withered look and tried to pat off the layer of dust on herself. Aya and Winter giggled at their friend. Togepi jumped back into her arms and she instantly returned to her relaxed state.

"You guys did good. Just need some fine-tuning, that's all. Sorry I had to cut it short, though. Was about to get messy, y'know?" Winter returned an encouraging smile.

Aya's eyes widened in a jarring realization, "Wait. Where were you, by the way? And um- How much of the battle did you see?"

Winter slowly narrowed her eyes. "I'm scary, huh?"

The two friends visibly gulped and knew exactly what to do.

"RUN!" They both fled from the scene and called back their pokémon. There were echoes and short fits of giggles and laughter as the kids ran back to their small campsite.


	4. Much to Learn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anybody ever really wonder about the pokedex details? No? Just me. Okay XD Well anyways I'm adding a touch of real life to this chapter so I hope that's interesting~

Two weeks later, and after awkwardly dealing with numerous annoying bug pokémon trainers, the trio made their way from Cherrygrove City to Violet City.

“Winter, I swear to Mew if you agree to another bug trainer battle, I’m gonna have a headache.” Aya’s face scrunched up in disdain.

“What? We get free money. And besides, they were asking for it.” Winter crudely answered.

Marie heavily sighed. “I don’t know, Winter. That area was unnecessarily full of them. Please try to remember that I really dislike bug pokémon in general.”

“Well, we’re pretty close to Violet City so you guys won’t have to worry too much. The training was good for Vulpix anyways.” She simply chuckled at the frustrated responses of her friends.

“-Hey look! A group of amateur trainers!” A boy with a straw hat and a Weedle on his shoulder and another boy in a similar fashion, though instead had a Caterpie on his head, ran over to where they were.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me! We’re almost there!” The tall girl threw her cap to the ground.

Marie decided to move further away from another upcoming battle. "So uh- You guys just do your thing."

Winter simply threw a look into Aya’s direction and she reluctantly nodded with a heavy sigh. “Fine, we’ll battle but it’s gotta be a double battle, okay guys?”

The opposing trainers excitedly nodded and called for their bug pokémon to move forward. And Winter was sure she heard one of them say how easy this fight was going to be. Aya released her intimidating Mimikyu and Winter brought out her nimble Vulpix.

The two girls winced when they saw the baby Weedle and Caterpie shaking in fear of the pokémon from their team.

"Okay, this ain't right. Your pokémon are clearly newly caught, don't you think they need to train more before a proper trainer battle?" Winter took pity on the smaller pokémon.

"Nah, they'll be fine. Don't mind our pokémon and try to focus on yours. Geez." The bug trainer lazily replied.

Aya looked to her friend. "I wanna mess up the trainers, not the pokémon."

"Same, though it seems like backing out now would be a pain. Let's just get this over with." She glanced at the nervous-looking Caterpie and Weedle. "Sorry little bugs, I tried. We'll make this quick." Winter whispered in a frustrated tone.

After one swift Shadow Sneak and a small but effective Ember, the two opposing pokémon fainted in one go. The bug trainers yelped and hurriedly left the losers’ battle fee with Aya. Winter gave them a short scolding before they could actually leave the scene.

"That's awful." Marie concluded after hearing her friends talk about what transpired earlier. Two of her friends were deep in thought, probably still irked by the attitude of those careless trainers. Who can say that there weren’t tougher trainers out there who would actually do the same thing?

Marie herself was also lost in thought, she knew things weren't going to be easy but she never thought about dealing with trainers like that at all. An idea suddenly popped up, she released her Togepi and got questioning looks from Aya and Winter. "Heal Bell".

The happy egg pokémon emitted a soothing aura and her friends got the message. "If there's bad trainers like em', well at least there are good trainers like you guys to make sure less of that stuff happens." She offered a sincere grin.

Walking side by side, they were amazed at the touch of the oriental style and wooden structures along the pathway. They entered Violet City without any more obstacles and hindrances. Distracting themselves from the events from that morning, they decided to do some sightseeing for the day then properly settle down for the night at the local Pokémon Center.

There was a light downpour as they began their short excursion around the city. Marie quickly lifted up her hoodie and Aya was shielded to some degree by her cap so the two happily ran through the streets in the somber weather. Meanwhile, Winter lagged behind to pull out her gray umbrella with a white pokéball stamped on its top and continued to walk in their direction. Pretty little droplets hung from the edges of the arched roofs and the tall evergreen trees.

“I can’t believe it. C’mon guys, the Sprout Tower should be close by.” Aya excitedly dragged them along to the famous historical site.

Winter tapped the edge of her chin. “Hmmm…. Shouldn’t we save that area for later? I think there are a few statues we can look at first before going to the tower.”

“So you mean… save the best for last?” Marie blinked.

“Yep. That’s it.” Winter quipped.

“That’s a great idea! I think there is one worth seeing. The Growchiko statue, y’know the one in that story where that little Growlithe waited for its trainer to return at the crossway until it finally passed away?” Aya’s eyes twinkled in delight.

“What? The sad story, that made us all cry? I don’t know if I should be amazed or just be plain sad.” Marie looked at her incredulously.

“Dude, you can probably do both.” She received a confirmatory nod from her red-haired friend. The taller plum-haired girl simply raised her thumbs up with a cheeky grin.

Sure enough, the old stone statue was positioned near the tower and was also not too far off from the next gate that led to another route. The three took pictures and paid their respects to the loyal pokémon, each carefully making a small slow bow. Winter’s Vulpix suddenly sprang out of its ball and whimpered with a small sad whine.

A sudden realization crossed Winter’s face. “Did you guys know that Ninetales, live up to a thousand years?”, She crouched and softly patted the little fox. “I just realized that maybe… a Vulpix can live a long life too.” Her pokémon gently nudged her side, looking at her as if it had expectations out of her, eyes shining and seeing something that she currently can’t see.

The Vulpix calmly huddled itself into her arms and she whispered closely, “Glad you got to see your old friend again.”


	5. Gym Sprouts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit late on the update but that's fine :P haha. We get to see the trio set into the fact that they're actually trainers now!
> 
> After this chapter will be more of a whirlwind sort of motion, i'll be taking you guys from one place to another by showing some parts and moments that matter heh.

They silently left the statue and continued their excursion to the Sprout Tower.

“Woah. This place is super cool! I wouldn’t be surprised if it was haunted.” Aya exclaimed by the wide wooden entrance of the tower.

“That would be pretty cool. Also, it did say in the travel guide that some of the monks here like to tell stories, so that might be fun.” Winter perked up and looked around with interest.

“You know what? You guys go enjoy that. Can’t I just go to the small Bellsprouts over there?” Marie gestured to the group of pokémon nearby.

Winter raised her brow, “Aren’t those sacred in here?”, and pointed to the sign in giant letters stating ‘PLS DO NOT MIND THE BELLSPROUTS’.

“Oh.” Marie deflated and Aya couldn’t hide her giggles at all. The two began swatting at each other with the brochures they had on-hand, and again, neither one wanting to give up. As they climbed up the stairs, Winter simply watched over them with idle amusement.

“Okay guys, keep it down. They might-” A monk suddenly appears and begins to chastise them.

“Youngsters these days. From the looks of it, all beginners too. No access to the top until you’ve managed to beat all of the sages here. And only then can you begin your gym challenge.” The elder monk scoffed at the trio.

They found themselves back outside the tower.

“So much for finishing our sightseeing today. What an old grump.” Winter mumbled.

“Man, I think I’m _actually_ getting nervous about the gym challenge now.” Aya nervously chuckled and both friends eyed Marie.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll do it and try.” Marie shoved her hands into her hoodie’s pockets.

The remainder of their afternoon was spent on polishing movesets and helping each other train.

“I can’t believe we have to deal with all of those old monks.” Winter sighed.

“It’ll be fine, Winter. I checked it out online and look-” Aya held out her device and the forums made it apparent that the monks are only allowed to use level 10 Bellsprouts.

“Wow. Even _Togepi_ can take em’ on.” Marie absentmindedly scrolled through the post.

Winter pondered deep in thought, all of them had trained for a while before going to Johto so the levels that their teams currently started with had varied from 20 to 30.

“Since this is the starting area for most newbies, we definitely have some leverage. Okay. Let’s beat those grumpy geezers tomorrow.” The dark redhead concluded and held out her fist.

“Agreed. Let’s.” Aya grinned, then connected a fistbump with Winter.

On the day after, the battle between the monks and the young trio proved to be a mundane affair. Togepi, Vulpix, and Mimikyu easily went through the battles without a scratch, giving their trainers well-earned respect and now the right to face the gym leader of this city.

“He’s a flying type user. Here are some herbs to help replenish a bit of energy for your teams.” The old monk gently wrapped the leaves and handed each bundle to them.

“Thanks, mister.” Winter gave a small bow and the other two followed in tow.

“It’s nothing. You three hurry now and get that badge, ya hear?” The old man waved them off.

“The old guy’s pretty nice. Guess he just wanted to see if we were okay enough to handle the gym.” Marie thoughtfully commented as they strolled along the sidewalk.

“We should head there while it’s still early in the day.” Aya reminded as she took a quick glance at her watch.

“Alright.” Winter, unnoticed by her friends, muttered and began to fidget with her hands.

As the three approached the gym, they grew quiet and nervous. This was their first gym and it was the official start on their lives as trainers. A young man by the entrance notices them.

He makes his way and approaches them with a warm smile. “Hello new friends! Are you here to challenge the gym?” A Pidgey perches on his shoulder while staring questioningly at them.

“Yep. The three of us plan on challenging the leader today. Is that possible?” Winter spoke up.

“It’s pretty early so- yeah! You guys are the first challengers of the day. The gym leader’s reserve pokemon are all available right now so it’s definitely possible.” The upbeat male leads the way and brings out some water bottles along with a few snacks.

“How long does each battle take?” Marie glanced curiously as they were ushered to sit on a platform with a row of seats.

The man pondered with his Pidgey. “Depends on the trainer, really. But since there’s three of you, the gym is off-limits to any other challengers for an hour or so.”

Aya’s eyes widened. “... Wow. I’m actually getting really nervous again.”

“Oh, now don’t be! Usually, a gym like this is packed with newbies but since it’s quite early, there’s less people to spectate. Consider yourselves lucky.” He grinned once more.

“That also brings me to another question, which one of us is going first?” Winter sighed.

“It doesn’t matter much. You guys just pick between yourselves and call me up when you’re ready. The leader won’t reveal himself til’ the battle’s been decided.” He and his pidgey hopped off the platform to give them some space to talk.

It was obvious. All of them were quite nerve-wracked just by seeing the scale of how huge the gym was. Aya and Marie turned around then suddenly gave pleading gazes to Winter.

She closed her eyes and let out a soft chuckle. “Should’ve seen _this_ coming.”

“Oh right! My name’s Devin. And for what it’s worth, I think you kids will be alright.” Devon alerted his Pidgey to call for the gym leader.

Another cool-looking young man with cerulean hair and bright eyes, probably in the same age range as Devon, rises out of a traditionally designed wooden platform. “Welcome to the Violet City’s gym, young challengers! Do not fear, try to enjoy the forthcoming battles and observe the prowess of flying types!”


	6. PokeCare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After claiming the third badge, Marie finds something that she likes after meeting some friendly folks at a ranch.

Goldenrod City was lively and bustling to say the least. The trio decided to stay for about one week in the area, stumbling across new surroundings and taking in the sights the city had to offer. The city certainly lived up to its name, bricks and concrete all in a dull yellow or golden hue. Famous for its train railway to the Kanto region, a lively set of citizens, and the enormous radio tower that caters to the whole region, its stands proudly as an important symbol for Johto’s interconnectedness. 

Once again, the three girls roam around together and eventually battle it out with Johto’s gym leader of normal types: Whitney. The whole gym itself reflected the leader’s style; it seemed to have a theme of golden lining, sparkles, and _ pink _.

It was Marie's turn to go against the gym leader first. The girls, more so specifically Winter, decided to make it fair as to who gets to go first in challenging each gym leader by taking turns. 

"You got this, Marie." Aya gave a strong encouraging pat on her back. 

Winter's curious expression turned into one of worry. Her brows slightly furrowed with her lips forming into a thin line. "It'll be okay, you've done pretty alright so far. Just don't let your guard down I guess."

This gained Aya's attention and the redhead simply just shrugged it off then whispered as Marie left for the platform, "We'll just have to see how things go." 

"Is it about… _ that _?" The taller girl asked. 

"Well, you know how she feels." Winter looked back with a deadpan stare, and that was all that was needed to answer her friend's question. 

As they've heard, Whitney was well-known for using her Miltanks in gym battles, though at times she may rely on a Clefairy, so it was no surprise when the one on one challenges on that day presented a pink sturdy-looking pokémon with a healthy glow. 

Marie fussed for a short bit with her pokeball belt. Then finally, she threw out her pokémon of choice. "Jolteon, let's go! Thundershock!"

It was nail-biting challenge, that's for sure. Miltank and Jolteon went back and forth dishing out attacks on each other. 

The only advantage Marie had over Whitney was her Jolteon's good stamina, accuracy, and speed, whereas the Miltank had stamina but extra hp. 

"Miltank, my girl, use Defense Curl!" Whitney clenched her fists. 

Each side gave each other an adequate amount of damage, their pokémon reaching the limits of their stamina. A surprise Rollout had hit Jolteon hard but the electric pokémon quickly got up then brought down an effective Double Kick, which made the battle come to a close. 

With hands shaking, Marie called back her tired pokémon. Aya and Winter's gym battles went off without a hitch, Dragonair and Lapras proved to be effective hard-hitting pokémon in a fight. Though the two may still be developing their battle styles, they were getting used to managing their pokémon's movesets. 

Whitney cheerily congratulated them for the completion of their gym challenge in Goldenrod City and gave their badges. 

"Be sure to swing by the local ranch for some delicious Moomoo Milk. You three definitely earned it." She winked and left. 

"Let's heal up our pokémon first." Winter exited first. 

"Okaaay." Aya followed next and Marie simply kept quiet. 

As they handed their pokémon that participated in the gym challenge, Winter suddenly stopped in front of Marie. 

"What's up? Are you feeling sick or something?" She feigned innocence and raised her hand to the brunette's forehead. 

Aya, already getting a clue of what Winter was aiming to do, braced herself with a stiff smile. 

"It's not that… I'm starting to think that maybe I'm more cut out for something other than gym battles or battling in general." Marie sighed and grumbled in frustration. 

Winter quickly glanced at Aya and gave the same deadpan stare as if to say, _ 'Don't you dare say anything rash.' _

"...How come?" Aya willed herself from saying anything more than that by biting her tongue. 

Both friends saw this coming, Marie's will to battle and train with her pokémon seemed to lessen after each gym battle. 

"What do _ you _ think you're more cut out for?" Winter's eyes slowly narrowed and her tone was more direct. 

"I don't know? Maybe I can make my own Pokefan club?" Marie seemed unsure then brushed a hand through her hair. 

Aya and Winter both sighed. "Let's just head to the ranch and talk more there, I guess." Aya used her cap to fan herself in an attempt to cool herself off from frustration.

“It’s okay, I don’t think we’re supposed to have it all figured out anyways. Just try to keep in mind on how your parents gave you this chance.” Aya offered a strained sympathetic smile to her troubled friend then moved ahead of the other two. Marie breathed out a heavy sigh. She still had mixed feelings.

“That's why it's important for you to keep on trying. Doing half-assed life choices or actions, on the other hand, is common but that shouldn't stop from making you think on what you really wanna do. Please do try to consider things wisely.” Winter carefully uttered as she passed by Marie and jogged over to Aya’s side. 

With Marie lagging behind the two, they eventually stumble upon a modern cattle ranch for Mareep and Miltanks. The open ranch still retained a golden touch on the fences, staying true to the city’s colors. A small cafe stood out next to the entrance.

Upon entry, the three flashed their newly acquired badges and a kind middle-aged man let them in. “Our gym leader is such a kind soul. We’ll get you kids some fresh warm Moomoo milk.” A dainty aged lady, most likely his spouse, comes out of the cafe. 

“My wife will entertain you for a while, I’ll return shortly with your drinks.” He smiled.

True to his word, the gentle middle-aged lady led them inside the open grass field, giving the kids a chance to play with the pokémon around them. Helpers of different ages tended to the care and playtime of the Mareeps and Miltanks.

Marie perked up just by being surrounded by the overall vibe and activities. She joined in with a smile plastered over her face, brushing the fur of the younger little pokémon contentedly. Aya and Winter smirked at each other knowingly. _'She'll figure it out eventually.'_

“Alright young ones, here are the drinks, as promised!” The older gentleman happily passed a mug of Moomoo Milk to each of them, and the couple watched in amusement as the three happily chugged down their drinks, warming their bellies and their hearts.


	7. Happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aya's feeling a bit low but that changes when she meets new people and truly sees her friends in a new light. Starting the journey was tough but continuing is the real challenge.

“Yikes, that last gym was _ the worst _.” Marie shivered in memory of the Ghastly and Haunter poking fun at her by making illusions. 

The three were walking through a grassy patch, exiting the narrow forested path.

“We liked it.” Both Aya and Winter answered at the same time. The two smirked at each other then proceeded to snickering at their hooded friend.

“Of course, _ you guys _ like it. All those late nights trying to watch horror movies were either of your suggestions.” Her spooked Togepi attempted to shrink back in its shell but it didn’t work.

“Yet you'd still go with us anyways.” Winter grinned slyly. 

“And you even _ joined us _ at the Burned Tower, too.” A wry smile formed on Aya’s face.

Contemplating on their next move, the girls marched on and battled their way through a few trainers. According to a guide they followed online, the Olivine Gym would not take any challengers until they defeated Cianwood City’s gym leader. 

“Hmmm, do we take a break at Olivine or do we keep going to Cianwood instead?” Winter inquired her two friends who were very focused on a game app in their Poketches.

“YES! Since you lost, you decide, Aya. I don’t feel like choosing heh.” Marie cried in victory.

“I guess we _ could _ rest at Olivine first since it’s on the way? I’d like to get Lapras in the water even just for a bit.” She noted, remembering it’s been days since Lapras swam freely anywhere.

“Alright, let’s go to a Pokemon Center and settle our stuff down.” Winter quickly slid her gray PokéNav back into her bag.

Upon entering, Aya couldn’t help but become nostalgic… and a bit homesick. Her birthday was coming up as well and it felt weird being apart from her parents this time. The seaside, the ships, and busibody citizens reminded her of her time back in Slateport City. The gravel flooring and salty breeze brought about an urban yet refreshing feeling to the area. 

Walking to the brightly lit Pokemon Center, the trio managed to efficiently settle their things down easily by habit after getting used to hopping from one place to another. 

“You guys ready to head to the beach?” Aya tightened her ponytail and changed her running shoes to a pair of light pink slippers. Marie placed on some black sand shoes while Winter wore her brown sandals. 

The yawning redhead stuffed her essentials for the short beachside stroll into a gray pouch. “Kay’. Let’s walk our pokepals until sunset.”

Marie let her Sandshrew waddle next to her as they entered the beach. The little ground fella piled sand onto its belly earning coos from its trainer. "That's so cute!" She began to take multiple pic with her PokeNav.

Aya's mood seemed to lift up a little as she let her Lapras swim circles in the seawater. She sat by the seashore, feeling the waves crash against her feet.

Dragonair glided across with its belly touching the water's sparkling surface, from afar Winter could be seen taking a video of her pokemon, flying around the water in the afternoon sun.

Locals were playing frisbee with their pokémon, some playing music while relaxing, and others taking pictures for memories. 

"Woah! Who owns this pokémon? I don't normally see Lapras around these parts." One of the local people suddenly took an interest in Aya's Lapras. 

She raised her hand and the local girl who seemed to be slightly older in age beamed at her excitedly. "I've never raced against one before, would you want a go at it?" 

Taken aback by this, she nervously sputtered a response by reflex. "S-Sure! It's my first try at it though haha."

Winter choked in surprise but began to suppress some laughter at her friend's rashness. 

"You can do it, Aya!" Marie simply chuckled yet cheered on, while her Sandshrew gave a tiny yet enthusiastic fist pump. 

The excited native hopped on her Seaking. "It's pretty easy, all you gotta do is make sure that you tap that green flag on the rock then head back here without falling, got it?" 

The plum haired girl clung onto her Lapras and nodded. “Okay! I’m ready.”

“Any one of you would you like to do the honors?” The tan-skinned local looked to the other two expectantly. A small crowd of both tourists and locals started to gather around.

Marie cheekily grinned at her friend with Sandshrew in her arms. “You know I don’t have any water _ or _ flying types on my team.”

Winter grumbled as she ran her hand through her hair. “_Alright_. Dragonair let’s go! I’ll send a go-signal up into the sky and then the race can start.” Her cerulean pokémon swiftly carried her off above the water. 

The dragon pokémon and her trainer floated to the rock with the flag, "Dragon rage, now!", red and blue flames shot up into the sky, marking the signal for the race to begin. 

The Seaking sped forward with its trainer standing on top of it like a surfboard. On the other hand, Aya wrapped her arms around Lapras' long neck and plowed through the waves.

"Turn around and use Bubble!" The local directed her pokémon. The Seaking spun then propelled itself using its own attack. 

Aya gasped at the sudden distance between her and her competitor but then started to try a plan that came to mind. "Lapras, use Ice Beam then slide on it!" 

The sturdy pokémon made an ice lane that almost reached the rock, and the two slid past their rivals in a flash. Winter slapped a quick high five to her friend as Aya tapped the flag and made her way back to land. 

The thrill and excitement made Aya beam with a bright smile on her face. Marie hooted and congratulated her as she got first place along with the crowd that clapped for the entertaining race. 

"That was really fun, huh?" The girl she raced shook her hand then motioned the three to join their bonfire by the sunset. 

"I can't believe I actually did that." Aya held a look of disbelief but was extremely satisfied on the inside. Her two friends gave encouraging pats on her back; they noticed the bonfire had begun and they raced towards it as the sun started to lower. 

She breathed a small sigh of relief as she ran to Marie and Winter with the sun setting so brilliantly next to them. 

She realized her happiness and contentment is her home. And that the people she loves will always be there for her, whether they're away or standing by her. 


	8. Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Entering the Dragon’s Den, Winter gets her badge and a set of trifling statements from an elder right after. Why does the gym challenge need to define what it means to be a trainer?
> 
> (VERY late update, a lot of things in school and my personal life went down but i'm glad to be able to post this before christmas!)

Little by little, the trio inched closer towards one of their last destinations from their journey in Johto. That journey is close to completion as they finally make their way to the mountains that hold Blackthorn City. 

"This sucks. I can't believe we have to walk _this_ _much_ to the next gym." Winter kicked some dirt with her red sneakers and huffed while leaning against a tree. 

"We're pretty tired too. Remember,_ you're _ the one keen on getting a badge." Marie rolled up the sleeves of her hooded jacket. 

"Man, and I thought by the time we'd get here there would be snow or something." Aya raised her cap and brushed off some stray hairs sticking to her face. 

Their grumpy friend slowly turned serious and raised a brow. "What do you mean _ I'm _ the one keen on getting a badge? Aren't you guys in on this too?" 

Aya and Marie exchanged nervous glances. Surprisingly, Marie was the first to speak up. 

"There's something we need to tell you-?" Her statement came out short and sounded more like a question.

Marie's shaky laughter couldn't be controlled due to her nerves so Aya decided to step in. "We- uh don't plan to take on the league. I still wanna do the last gym and try though. But Marie's not going to. Yeah." 

"When did you guys talk about this?" Winter's current expression was unreadable, but they could tell she was upset in some way. 

"Right after Jasmine's gym." Marie blurted out. 

For a split second, her eyes narrowed and her face darkened. "That was 2 weeks ago. Why didn't you guys tell me? We could have taken some time off instead of forcing this tight schedule."

The other two withered under her stare. Aya looked down at her feet. "Well, we didn't know how to bring it up to you." 

"If you guys had told me earlier, I wouldn’t have planned things out this way and taken more time before heading here. Am I seriously not worth the honesty? Did you think I wouldn't feel something off with the way you guys were acting in the past week? _ Ugh _. That explains the weird looks you guys keep giving me." She rambled with a tinge of anger arising in her voice. 

"Hey, Winter-" Both Marie and Aya winced as they tried to appease their friend. 

"..... Yeah. Okay. J-just let me cool off for now I guess. I'm still upset so- _ Argh _." Winter tossed a pokéball into the air; Dragonair looked at the three questioningly but its owner just climbed on and they flew off. 

Aya and Marie begrudgingly continued to walk on through the mountain path, trying to figure out how to deal with their friend. 

In the air, Dragonair stubbornly held its stare at Winter. They almost bumped into a tree, while its owner held on for her dear life. 

"Stop looking at me like that and focus on floating! I don't wanna talk about it right now." She sulked and sighed heavily. 

The concerned pokémon paused and gave her a sympathetic look. All of a sudden, Espeon popped out of its ball then landed on a thick branch next to the spot where Dragonair floated. 

"Why are you guys doing this to me?" Winter whined and released her Vulpix since she might as well let the whole gang out at this point. 

Vulpix plopped on her lap looking confused, Espeon somehow managed to explain what was going on and the other two pokémon nodded as if they finally understood what had happened. Winter tiredly stroked her pokémon as they communicated with each other. 

"I just care about them, okay? I expected a_ huge _ degree of honesty and trust. But they kept it from me until we were actually heading to the last gym. Like, what the hell? They’re giving me false pretenses which _ suck _ ." She gritted her teeth in frustration. It was one thing to give such huge news but it was another to keep something because they were _ afraid _ to tell her or even worse- they weren’t sure to even bother informing her. _ That hurt more_.

On any normal day, she wouldn't spend this much time into talking about herself but today was not that day. Espeon closed its eyes in affirmation and returned back to its ball; Vulpix pawed its ball to go back inside. Dragonair nudged its head on hers and carried Winter towards the city. 

With bubbles of rage and turmoil still simmering inside her, she did something unexpected. Winter went ahead to the gym by following the rocky path. Alone. 

"May I take the challenge?" She inquired as she entered the final gym. 

A dragon tamer with an exhilarated expression approached her. "Sure, but before that, can I see your badges?" 

Winter carefully opened a sleek black case containing all seven gym badges that she earned… with her friends. 

She shook her head, now wasn't the time for such thoughts. _ 'I need to concentrate.' _

"Wow! Kids these days are something else. Our leader will be with you shortly. Would you like to have a practice battle with me in the meantime? I can heal you guys up before the actual battle." The tamer politely offered. 

“Sure. Why not?” The preteen meekly accepted while dusting off what seemed to be a smidge of ash on her black shirt. 

“Great! Let’s get started.” The smile of the trainer before her suddenly felt cold and aggressive, the ground they stood upon arose to reveal a layer of lava underneath the gym.

“Wha-” Before Winter could continue her outburst, a woman that had pale hair, dressed in blue from head to toe, landed on the field to smack the tamer’s head directly with her elbow.

The older woman was seething with irritation and proceeded to scolding the younger trainer. A Seadra stood next to him, sighing at the situation as if it had happened before. “What did I _ just _ tell you the other day? You’re _ not _ allowed to practice without _ my _ permission if it’s _ under _ the roof of _ this gym _ . It’s absolutely unbecoming of our gym if you continue to act this way. Just go outside and practice when it isn’t _ your _ time of duty.”

“_ Come on _, boss Clair! Back then the others were allowed to challenge the trainers that entered the gym at any time to help them practice.” He grumbled.

“You know what? _ Fine. _ But if you lose this battle, you can’t train here for a _ whole _ week. Miss challenger, what do you say?” Gym leader Clair turned to Winter. A few other tamers crossed over to try and ease them from fighting any further.

She looked at the two and felt the tension continue to heighten then simply sighed. “Alright.”

_ ‘What a pain.’ _ Winter mentally sighed to herself. It didn’t matter anymore, she needed to crush this opponent to move on to the gym leader before Aya and Marie would catch up to see how aggravated she really is. 

She took one look at her device, tempted to call out to her friends to watch her battle, but that didn’t happen. Instead, a wave of frustration, uncertainty and sadness washed over her, causing her left hand to reach for a pokeball instead. “Oh just- shuckle it, stupid mind.”

Things definitely weren’t going to be the same after this. 

The fight with the trainee may have been quick but soon after, Clair proved to be a formidable opponent. Winter was pretty confident in her Dragonair but that all changed when the gym leader brought out her final team member: Kingdra. Her dragon pokemon put up a good fight, leaving the water dragon pokemon a bit tired from the continuous onslaught of dragon-type moves from Dragonair. Vulpix didn’t last long but luckily was able to land a Confuse Ray just as the little red fox fainted from a strong Bubblebeam. 

“Espeon, let’s end this with Psychic.” Feeling the aggression of its trainer, Espeon harshly gripped the Kingdra and slammed it to the ground with full force. In the Kingdra’s state of confusion, it blew up a Twister that caused both sides to have recoil.

The psychic pokemon emerged victorious, but Winter didn’t feel any joy from her win, all that remained was pure exhaustion. 

Claire stared at her inquisitively. “Hey, you won. What’s with the long face?”

“I mean now that I’m here- I just thought things would _ feel _ right. I was always sure that this was the… direction to head in, I guess?” She stroked Espeon’s fur while deep in thought.

“Maybe it is, but maybe there’s something else too.” The gym leader coolly replied. She handed a wrinkled paper with directions and pressed it into the young trainer’s hand. “Go talk to the elder, it’ll be worth your time.” Clair winked. 

Before departing, the staff healed her pokemon as thanks for putting up with the unnecessary battle. Sure enough, there was an intricate frame surrounding the entrance to another cave near the gym. It looked more daunting than the entrance to the gym itself.

“I’m too tired to deal with this crap.” She murmured to herself.

An elderly man made an appearance by the entryway, forming a puzzled expression as he saw Winter draw closer to the cave. 

“You seem more lost than you actually let on, challenger.” He gave a weary smile.

Speechless, the young girl’s hands slowly began to tremble. “I…” She trailed off.

The elder sat on the wooden ledge and patted on the space next to him. The preteen took a seat on the space offered then eyed him warily. “I don’t know how to move forward.”

“These old bones of mine can feel that you know the answer. There’s never one way to come to a solution, child. Your pokemon are a testament to that, aren’t they?” 

From recovering an injured Dratini, to a newly hatched Eevee in her arms, and encountering a hungry Vulpix, Winter felt her memories flooding causing her grief to uncover what she no longer can stop from telling herself. 

“I want to be more than just a challenger. I want to protect my pokemon too.” She whispered. 

The old man gently offered a few coupons to a quaint-looking cafe within the city. “Seems like you and your friends will enjoy these better than I would.” 

She turned her head and saw two figures meekly approaching the path, Winter mouthed one sincere ‘Thank you’, to the elder before she ran back to her friends. They had a lot to talk about.

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be updating once a week ^^ it's my first time posting a work so i'm hoping to receive some suggestions/criticism on how to improve. Thanks! I made this fic as a means to relax since I stress out a lot, haha. Dedicating this to my friends who encouraged me to continue writing the story heh :D


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